Raising Pigs

[Argee]

Bought 7 little piglets Saturday. Picked them up in the afternoon. It was their first time away from their momma, they seemed a little lost. But they are doing fine today. It's been a little chilly here (in the mid forties), when I went out to check on them earlier they were nestled under all the straw. What a chuckle.

[Fawteen]

I've mentioned to the wife that we ought to add a couple of pig-critters to our menagerie.

Her response has been consistently (and sometimes artistically) negative...

[DouroBob]

Pigs are great - we haven't had any for a few years but I am retiring this summer and expect we will raise some each year from here on in.
Great personalities, very social, clean and tidy, and really tasty when it is all said and done.

Bob

[Argee]

<font color="blue"> Great personalities, very social, clean and tidy, and really tasty when it is all said and done. </font color>

That's what I've noticed. They're almost comical to watch and they go to the bathroom in one corner of the pen.

[Bird]

Argee, I guess you either already knew, or inquired a bit, about hogs and their habits before buying them. Their reputation for being dirty, wallowing in mud, etc. is because they have no sweat glands; cannot perspire, so overheating will kill them If allowed to stay cool in some other way, they'll stay clean, and unlike most farm animals, they'll pick one area for the "bathroom" and all will use it instead of spreading it everywhere.

[itsmeCindi]

I wouldn't trade my pigs for any other animals. The one drawbacks is that they will eat you out of house and home. No matter how much you feed them or how fat they get, in their little minds, they are starving to death.

But they love attention, and eventually turn into dogs if you let them. What are your plans for them? Breeding or eating?

[Argee]

Well I've named them..........Bacon, Pork Chop, Breakfast, etc......so I don't think they're going to be anything but tablefare. I am going to put a couple in my freezer, and I have the rest sold. I primarily got them for their rooting capabilities and SH!@. They're doing well in both those departments. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]

[Argee]

Went out last Friday morning to check on the pigs. Found one of the gilts with a prolapsed rectum. She was showing a lot of distress, so I took her to the vet for care. The vet performed surgery and corrected the problem. She (the vet) said "Isolate the pig for a few days so the more aggressive pigs don't chew on the surgery area". I built a small 5x5 pen within the larger pen. Put a feeder and water supply in it, plus I put in the runt with her for company. Checked on them Saturday in the AM, everthing was fine, she was active, there were turds in the pen, the surgery looked fine, I went to work at my job. Returned home, had supper, went out to check the pigs. Found the gilt lying dead with her snout in the water bucket. She was stiff and extremely bloated. The area of the surgery looked fine. Any thoughts on what caused her death as I can't figure it out?? Internal bleeding??

[itsmeCindi]

I can't help you there, I only had one prolapse issue and it corected itself. Here's a good site for you thought, ask for Jerry, tell him Cindi sent you. Not that he'll give a dang one way or the other. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

the pig site